Kerala's famous Thrissur Pooram (image/thrissurpooramfestival.com).
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the “impractical” directions of the Kerala High Court regarding the use of elephants in the temple festivals for the state’s renowned Thrissur Pooram.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Koteshwar Singh called it “impractical” to follow the High Court’s suggestion to maintain a three-meter distance between the elephants paraded at festivals and prohibit them from using public roads between 9 am and 5 pm.
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The top court put a stay on any directions issued by the High Court that may violate the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012.
Keeping traditions in mind, the apex court passed the order after Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms, the temple managing committees, made an appeal.
The strict guidelines imposed by the High Court in a November order included a maximum of ten elephants and maintaining a minimum distance of three meters between them in the procession.
The guidelines issued by the state High Court also included maintaining a minimum distance of 8 meters between the elephant and the public and any percussion instrument performance and a distance of 100 meters between elephants from any place of fireworks.
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The Kerala High Court also suggested that the elephants get at least three days of rest between two performances. Judges AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice P. Gopinath stated that the use of elephants in festivals was not an essential religious practice.
Following the state high court’s decision, the two temple boards approached the Supreme Court, stating that the directions issued would disrupt the traditions of the temple festival and were difficult to impose.
Thrissur Pooram is one of Kerala’s most famous and vibrant temple festivals, held annually in Thrissur, usually in April or May. Known for its grand procession featuring elaborately decorated elephants, and traditional percussion music, it takes place at the Vadakkunnathan Temple. The festival is a major cultural and religious celebration in the state, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
